Oregon News

ALOHA, Oregon - On Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at approximately 10:48 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a vacant home at the corner of SW 174th Avenue and SW Arborcrest Way in the community of Aloha. Neighbors had reported a fire and said they had heard explosions coming from the house. Deputies, along with fire crews from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, responded to the location, but soon retreated to a safe distance after an unknown man threw an empty wine bottle and part of a shotgun at the deputy.

The home is owned by an investment company and was boarded up with several “no trespassing” signs posted on the property.

At approximately 11:30 p.m., deputies entered the home and attempted to make contact with the individual inside. The man told deputies he was refusing to come out from the crawlspace he was hiding in and planned to stay there all night. While inside, deputies discovered various firearms and ammunition inside the home, including an AR-15 style rifle in a closet with two loaded magazines.

At this point, all personnel exited the house for safety reasons, and the Tactical Negotiations Team (TNT) and the Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU) were called in for assistance.

Just before 4:00 a.m. on August 13, the suspect was apprehended without incident.

The suspect has been identified as Richard Joseph Castaneda, age 34, of Beaverton. Mr. Castaneda told deputies he was burning garbage inside the house to keep warm. Mr. Castaneda was lodged at the Washington County Jail on charges of reckless burning, attempted assault on a public safety officer, criminal trespass with a firearm, and felon in possession of a firearm.